Christian Gloeckler is running away with Fagernes. The 14-year-old German IM beat Lukas Dotzer in round seven to grab sole first place at 6/7, a full point clear of the field with three rounds remaining.
Rinat Jumabayev seized second place by knocking off top seed Elham Amar. Jumabayev sits at 5½ points. The two leaders already know each other's style. They drew in round four after grinding out 84 moves, so there's history between them if they meet again down the stretch.
Gloeckler's position is formidable. Leading by a full point in a tournament this strong means he controls his own destiny. Three rounds is plenty of time for someone to stumble. Jumabayev needs wins to have realistic chances. The field behind them remains compressed, which typically means tactical chaos in the final rounds.
The fact that a 14-year-old is leading an international tournament speaks to Gloeckler's development. IM titles at that age are rare enough. Leading a strong field at Fagernes puts him squarely on the radar for every chess program watching young German talent.